The application generally relates to fault detection in a compressor. The application relates more specifically to detecting faults in a compressor based on the measured current of a motor drive and the outdoor ambient temperature.
Many compressors employ numerous protection features to provide for safe and reliable operation of the compressor and the corresponding system, e.g., an air conditioning system or a heat pump system, in which the compressor is incorporated. Some examples of compressor protection features include an internal line break motor or overload protector (to prevent the motor from exceeding predetermined thermal limits during operation), an internal pressure relief valve (to detect excessive discharge pressure), a high pressure switch (to detect a high pressure condition in the compressor), and a low pressure switch (to detect a low pressure condition in the compressor). The incorporation and inclusion of these protection features into a compressor can be very complex and costly to design and implement.
Therefore what is needed is a system and method to determine fault conditions in a compressor without the need for numerous protection devices.